Used Cars Under 1000 Dollars

Can you really get used cars under 1000 dollars? Well, you're going to have to do your homework, but it's really true that you can get used cars under 1000 dollars. What are some places to look for these types of inexpensive cars?

Online or newspaper classified ads

You'd be surprised, but a lot of online classifieds have used cars under 1000 dollars. Many old cars (more than 10 years old) are often available for sale for about 1000 dollars or even less. Now, be advised that for 1000 dollars or thereabouts, you're probably going to have to do some work on the car, but if you're handy with cars, this is really a steal. Be prepared to put some elbow grease and perhaps a little cash into a car that you get for under 1000 dollars. That said, though, you can still come out far ahead as compared to making car payments on a much more expensive car. These types of cars are much less expensive to insure, too.

There are some cautions with these types of private sales, though. You have to be really, really careful that number one, the car isn't stolen, and number two, that everything wrong with the car (and there will be something wrong with a car that's being sold for under 1000 dollars, most likely) has clearly been laid out to you by the previous owner. If it's something you can handle, great.

To make sure the car you want hasn't been stolen (especially if it's a really nice car and it's still being sold for 1000 dollars or so), it's a really good idea to run the car's vehicle identification number on one of the many online services you can find that do this type of thing. If a stolen vehicle report has been filed, it will be found. Of course, you know you should stay away from these types of things.

Auctions

Here's the real steal when it comes to getting cars for under 1000 dollars. City, state and police auctions all sell cars, many of them used cars under 1000 dollars. What's great about these types of auctions is that number one, the vehicle damage or other difficulty is clearly disclosed so that you know what you're getting into. And number two, a lot of these vehicles are very high mileage (for example, unmarked police cars are often sold at these types of auctions), but they're still relatively new looking and run very well, because they can be as little as a year old.

Dear old mom, dad, uncle, grandma

Finally, don't be afraid to ask around and see who among your friends, neighbors or relatives might be wanting to sell their car for a little cash. Especially if you've got relatives who are pretty well-off, a lot of times, they want to upgrade their cars after a couple of years and have a perfectly good one sitting there that they don't want anymore. Offer to take it off their hands for about 1000 dollars and maybe a little yard work or something else they want done, and you've got yourself a really good set of wheels for not much money at all.